Yellowstone’s sharp-tongued fan-favorite character Beth Dutton once mused: “I believe in loving with your whole soul, and destroying anything that wants to kill what you love.” I wonder, then, what she would make of the state of play surrounding this OG Paramount franchise from hitmaker Taylor Sheridan — a modern-day Western that found success by arguably mixing elements from Game of Thrones and Succession and grounding the story firmly in Red State America. Yellowstone Season 5 will reportedly bring the hit series, finally, to an end — a series that so many fans loved, a la Beth Dutton, with their whole soul.
And, honestly, it’s probably just as well. For so many reasons. Let’s talk first, though, about where things stand right now with the show, and then move on to why it’s the right move to cut bait now — even as Paramount+ keeps ordering new shows from the Yellowstone creator, including a Yellowstone sequel that will bring Matthew McConaughey into the franchise’s orbit following star Kevin Costner’s forthcoming departure from it.
Does Season 5 mark the end of Yellowstone?
Yellowstone Season 5 is an ending of sorts for the show, but you could also argue that it’s not an ending at all. Paramount has finally confirmed when the season’s remaining episodes will air (this November) — and, yes, that batch of episodes will bring an end to Yellowstone Season 5. But those episodes will also preface the next chapter of the franchise, in the form of a sequel series that will include some of the stars from the original Yellowstone (minus Costner) as well as the addition of McConaughey.
(Plot details for both the back half of Season 5, as well as the sequel, are obviously being kept under wraps.)
“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” said Chris McCarthy, president & CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios.
Fans have been waiting for more Yellowstone since Season 5’s mid-season finale in January, which also ended on a cliffhanger. And since then, unfortunately, conversation about the show has been dominated by off-screen rather than on-screen drama.
The Kevin Costner backstoryThat drama came via word a few months ago from our sister publication Deadline, revealing that Costner had reportedly been locked in something of a dispute with the studio over his shooting schedule, which seems to be conflicting with his film projects. That led to all sorts of hand-wringing about whether Yellowstone’s star wanted out — and whether he’d even return at all.
Along these same lines, Puck News reporter Matt Belloni confirmed recently that the friction between the Costner and Paramount camps is no joke. To the degree that, via Instagram a few months ago, longtime Costner associate Glenn Kleczkowski reportedly posted this response to Sheridan’s new mob show Tulsa King on Paramount Plus (in a since-deleted post):
“Stick to westerns, bro. You don’t know SHIT about THIS life. Stay in your lane, country boy. I’m actually embarrassed for you as a writer and creator.”
No surprise, that Instagram post supposedly came to the attention of Sheridan himself, as well as Paramount’s McCarthy. Depending on who you talk to, the discomfort behind the scenes on the Yellowstone